“Everyone I know from India seems so darn smart and well-mannered!”
That’s probably because everyone you know from India, regardless of their wealth or humble beginnings, are educated and cultured. But India has over a billion people, most of whom are poor, tribal, ignorant and dumb as a bag of hammers. China is very much the same.
Nothing more to add. Just an observation / opinion.
Very true observation, though. And in my experience, even the upper class who come to America are tribal and racist, though in a subtle and passive aggressive way. They're all here for the money, they stick together, and for the most part look at Americans as "others" who they have targeted for financial exploitation and little else. And they really are not interested in our constitutional issues - they don't get the freedom thing at all. I've found that Americans are far, far more appreciative and even knowledgeable of Indian culture and history and philosophy and science than Indians - the Indians want to be Westerners.
IMO.
We used to say "dumb as a box of hair."
However, you are correct about India and China.
I would add that they, usually, are quite proud of their countries because their societies are so OLD.
Old means better, I guess.
China: killed baby girls. When amniocentesis became available, they ABORTED so many female fetuses that there was a generation of Chinese males (the poor and the dumb) who had no brides. The Chinese called those men the "Bare Branches."
The Indians aborted females fetuses too but not always. They were content to have females, especially when they did have the male heir.
How could these OLD cultures feel superior when they murdered ANY babies?